Robert Duvall shared a sweet message with his fans just months before his death on Sunday at 95.
âTo all my fans, have a happy happy Thanksgiving and a great year coming up,â the âGodfatherâ star said in a Facebook clip from November. âGod bless.â
Luciana Duvall, the âApocalypse Nowâ starâs wife of over 20 years, confirmed that the Hollywood legend died on Sunday.
âYesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time,â she wrote on Facebook Monday, adding that the âJudgeâ actor âpassed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort.â
âTo the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller,â Luciana continued. âTo me, he was simply everything. His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court.â
Luciana went on to say that the beloved acting icon âgave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they representedâ in his many acting roles.
âIn doing so, he leaves something lasting and unforgettable to us all,â she said. âThank you for the years of support you showed Bob and for giving us this time and privacy to celebrate the memories he leaves behind.â
Lucianaâs tribute also included a photo of the couple posing together on their Virginia ranch with their horse and two pups.
Duvallâs final social media post, meanwhile, was a Facebook message on Feb. 3 about his 2003 flick âSecondhand Lionsâ with Haley Joel Osment and Michael Caine.
âOne day while filming Secondhand Lions, the lion got out,â Duvall joked just days before his passing. âHad he turned in my direction, I wouldnât be here today!â
The Oscar winner then gushed about his co-stars and the comedy-dramaâs director, Tim McCanlies.
âI absolutely enjoyed working on this film with director Tim McCanlies and actors Haley Joel Osment and Michael Caine,â he wrote alongside a clip from âSecondhand Lions.â
One month earlier, a day before his milestone birthday, Duvall shared another sweet clip that included pics from his childhood as well as more recent footage.
The touching video was put together by his wife and included the text: â95â and âA Mighty Ride.â
âLuciana surprised me with this wonderful birthday video in preparation for tomorrowâs big 95!â he captioned the sweet birthday clip. âThank you all for the support all of these years.â
Born on January 5, 1931, in San Diego, Calif., Duvallâs first big movie role was as Boo Radley in the 1962 film adaptation of âTo Kill a Mockingbird.â
He scored his first Oscar nod after starring as Tom Hagen in âThe Godfatherâ in 1972, and reunited with director Francis Ford Coppola for âThe Godfather Part IIâ in 1974 and âApocalypse Nowâ in 1979.
But it wasnât until âTender Merciesâ in 1983, which Duvall starred in with Tess Harper, Betty Buckley and Ellen Barkin, that the acting legend earned his first and only Oscar for Best Actor.
âIn keeping with Duvallâs wishes, no formal service will be held,â Duvallâs loved ones wrote his obituary.
âInstead, the family encourages those who wish to honor his memory to do so in a way that reflects the life he lived by watching a great film, telling a good story around a table with friends, or taking a drive in the countryside to appreciate the worldâs beauty,â they added.
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